Wig

ABSTRACT

A wig comprising a hairpiece and a fastener attached to the hairpiece for releasably securing it to the growing hair on the scalp in which the fastener includes a comb as a clamping part thereof for gently but firmly attaching the fastener and thus the hairpiece to the hair. By employing a comb the fastener can be placed as close to the scalp as desired thereby preventing any substantial amount of movement of the hairpiece relative to the scalp.

United States Patent Holly [4 1 Oct. 24, 1972 [54] 1,708,419. 4/1929 Jurich ..132/125 1,540,102 6/1925 Cohen ..132/105 [721 James 4/1939 Berliner ..132/143 [73] Assignee: Permalok International, Inc.

[22] Filed: Sept. 9, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 178,859

Related US. Application Data [63] Continuation-impart of Ser. No. 65,945, Aug.

21, 1970, abandoned.

[52] US. Cl. ..l32/53 [51 1 Int. Cl. ..A4lg 3/00 [58] Field of Search ..132/53, 54, 148,144,143,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,642,364 9/1927 Eagle ..132/ l44 Primary Examiner-Louis G. Mancene Assistant Examiner-Gregory E. McNeil! Attorney-Axel A. Hofgren et al.

[57] ABSTRACT A wig comprising a hairpiece and a fastener attached attaching the fastener and thus the hairpiece to the hair. By' employing a comb the fastener can be placed as close to the scalp as desired thereby preventing any substantial amount of movement of the hairpiece relative to the scalp.

8 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures WIG CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION This application is a continuation-in-part of my copending application Ser. No. 65,945, filed August 21', 1970,'now abandoned.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION One of the features of this invention is to provide a wig comprising a hairpiece and an improved fastener thereon for attaching the hairpiece to growing hair on a scalp with the fastener comprising a comb and a spring pressed pressure plate for gently-but firmly attaching the fastener and thereby the hairpiece to the scalp.

Another feature of the invention is to providean improved fastener comprising a comb and a spring pressed pressure plate with the comb having means thereon for attaching to a hairpiece andfor releasably attaching to growing hair on a scalp.

Other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description of certain embodiments thereof.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a head having a hairpiece attached to the growing hair on the scalp thereof and embodying the invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken substantially along line 22 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an inverted side elevational view illustrating a fastener embodying the invention.

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the fastener of FIG. 3 as viewed from about line 4-4 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is'a view similar to FIG. 4 but showing the positions of the fastener parts when fully open and preparatory to attaching to the growing hair on a scalp.

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 4 but showing a second embodiment of the fastener.

FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 5 but showing this second embodiment.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED I I v EMBODIMENTS In the embodiment shown in the accompanying drawings there is illustrated a wig with fastener means as well as a fastener, both embodying the invention. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 the wig 14 is attachable to a human head 10 at the scalp 11 thereof by engaging a fastener 12 with hair 13 growing from the scalp 11.

As illustrated, the wig comprises a hairpiece 14 of the customary type that includes a flexible base 15 and natural or artificial hair 16 attached thereto.

The wig also has attached to it the fastener 12 and one or more of these fasteners may be used depending upon the size of the hairpiece which is to be releasably attached to the scalp 11. For simplicity of illustration, only a single fastener 12 is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and FIG. 1 illustrates a womans head and hairpiece although the invention is equally applicable to mens hairpieces.

The fastener comprises a comb 17 having a back 18 and teeth 19 projecting therefrom and substantially coplanar with each other and with the back 18. As is illustrated in FIG. 4 the teeth 19 are widely spaced apart and are bounded by adjacent edges 20 that diverge at a large angle. This arrangement is preferred for ease of inserting in the growing hair 13 without damage thereto.

The fastener 12 also includes a movable pressure plate 21 movably mounted on the comb 17 and movable between a closed position as shown in FIGS. 2 and '4 and the open position as shown in FIG. 5. In the illustrated embodiment this pressure plate 21 has a straight hair engaging edge portion 22 facing the comb teeth 19 when in the open position of FIG. 5 and a projecting ear 23 atone end of plate 21 and extending laterally of the edge 22 and service as a pivot area for pivoting the comb 17 and pressure plate 21 relative to each other. In the illustrated embodiment the pressure plate 21 is pivotal in a plane that is substantially common to the plane of the comb 17 by providing a hinge connecting means in the form of a hinge rivet 24 engaging the ear 23 and one end 25 of the comb back 18.

The fastener 12 is attached to the base 15 of the hairpiece 14 as by stitching thread passing through the central openings of a pair of spaced rivets 26 and 27. These rivets also extend through the base 28 of a spring member 29 which in the illustrated embodiment is in the form of an elongated spring plate having the base 28 attached to the back 18 of the comb 17 by the rivets 26 and 27 and a movable arched spring end 30 extending to adjacent the beginning of the comb teeth 19 as shown most clearly in FIG. 5. This spring end which extends forwardly of the base or back 28 of the spring member plate 29 has an upturned edge 31 adjacent the teeth 19 for aid in moving the pressure plate 21 and hair engaged thereby to beneath this movable spring end or to the position shown in FIGS. 2 and 4. When the fastener is not is use, as shown in FIG. 3, there is slight spacing (shown exaggerated) between the comb 17, pressure plate 21 and spring end 31.

In securing the hairpiece 14 to the hair 13 of the scalp 11 the pressure plate 21 is rotated to fully open position as shown in FIG. 5 about its hinge 24 which like the other rivets 26 and 27 has a central opening for attaching to the hairpiece 14 and the teeth of the comb are passed into and through the hair as close to the scalp 11 as desired such as right against the scalp. Because the comb 17 is next to the scalp and is itself quite thin, there is no problem in securing the fastener and thus the hairpiece closely adjacent the scalp. The

pressure plate 21 is then rotated to closed position as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4 with the hair engaging edge 22 and the growing hair 32 that is thereby engaged by this edge passing beneath the spring end 30 held tightly against the back 18 of the comb. Thus the spring plate 29 which is on the side of the fastener adjacent the hairpiece 14 applies locking pressure to press the hair against the pressure plate 21 where the hair passes between the pressure plate and the spring and to apply pressure to the portion of the hair that passes between the edge of the plate 21 and the back of the comb 18 in the vicinity of the roots of the comb teeth 19.

The fastener 12 of this invention provides a very secure grasp on the hair without damage thereto by grasping the growing hair 32 at many s separate spaces. One of these areas of grasping is between the spring end 30 of the spring plate 29 and the edge portion 22 of the pressure plate 21. Another area of secure grasping is adjacent thereto where the hair as shown in FIG. 2

passes for about 180 around the edge portion 22. A third area is where the hair passes between the edge portion 22 of the pressure plate and the edge area 33 of the comb that is superposed with respect to the edge area 22 of the plate 21. Additional grasping force is applied where the engaged hair 32 passes outwardly between the adjacent teeth 19 of the comb at the areas 34 of convergence of the teeth.

- Still other hair engaging areas are provided by the broad teeth 19 which with the portion of the comb back beneath the spring end form a pressure base as illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5. Pressure is applied to hair on the base by the large overlying pressure plate 21. Hair strands caught between these areas of the closed clamp (cg. FIG. 4) are securely but gently held.

With these many areas of grasping of the hair the hairpiece is held securely on the growing hair even with relatively light spring pressure that is sufficiently gentle to avoid damaging the growing hair.

Because the one or more fasteners 12 that are used are located entirely on the hairpiece 14 itself the entire structure is removable and installable as a unit and nothing is left on the growing hair 13 once the hairpiece has been removed.

- The wig and fastener of this invention may be used by both men and women for releasably folding hairpieces and in a typical embodiment for womans hairpiece the pressure plate 21 was about I% inches long by inch wide while the comb back 18 was about [36 inches long and 1% inch wide. The fastener for a mans hairpiece was made somewhat smaller in another embodiment and here the width of the pressure plate and the comb back was about the same as given above for the womans fastener but the comb back and pressure plate were only about one-half as long. Also, in these typical embodiments, the spring plate 29 was of sufficient strength to require about an eight pound pull to give a 1/32 inch deflection at the free edge 31 of the spring.

As a further aid in fastening the comb 17 to the hairpiece the end of the comb opposite the pressure plate 21 is provided with an apertured tab 35 which is also stitched to the base 15 of the hairpiece. The pressure plate 21 is manipulated between open and closed positions by a finger engageable tab 36 at one comer thereof that is opposite the hinge 24 corner of the plate.

Another very important advantage of this invention is this: Because of the large area of the clamp bar, there are many square inches of clamping surface pressing against the hair. This pressure applied to the hair over this large an area makes it almost impossible for the clamp bar to open accidentally as a result of a pulling force on the hair.

The comb clamps are attached to the hairpiece as by stitching 40. Tests have shown that with a clamp plate of A inch to 1% wide the device is held securely on the hair without damage to the hair and with no danger of accidental opening of the clamp with corresponding release of the hairpiece from the hair.

FIGS. 6 and 7 illustrate a second embodiment of a fastener 112. In this embodiment the pressure base 118 which is similar in operation to the combination of the comb back 18 and broad teeth 19 of the first embodiment is of generally L-shaped with a projecting end 40 having an apertured portion 135 which may be stitched to the base 15 of the hairpiece in the manner described above in connection with the first embodiment.

The pressure base 118 carries a spring member 129 similar to the springmember 29 of the first embodiment and is provided with similar attaching rivets 126 and 127 and with an arched spring end 130 having an upturned end 131 as shown at 31 in FIG. 3 of the first embodiment.

The pressure base 118 has an end opposite the end 40 and extending beyond the spring plate 129. Hingedly mounted on this end 125 for rotation about a rivet 124 is a large pressure plate 121 adapted to be rotated about the hinge rivet 124 to beneath the spring plate 129 as illustrated in FIG. 6 in the same manner as in the first embodiment in FIG. 4. This spring plate 121 is provided with a manipulating tab 136 at an edge thereof that is opposite the upturned edge 131 of the spring plate 129 when the fastener is in closed position as shown in FIG. 6.

The operation of the embodiment of FIGS. 6 and 7 is essentially the same as that of the fastener 12 in the first embodiment as the only-material difference in the two fasteners is the omission of the comb teeth 19 shown in the first embodiment.

Having described my invention as related to the embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings, it is my intention that the invention be not limited by any of the details'of description, unless otherwise specified, but rather be construed broadly within its spirit and scope as set out in the appended claims.

I claim:

1A.-wilase arisilsaaA ressi n a. 91P1Vlih growing hair and a fastener attached to said hairpiece for releasably securing the hairpiece to the growing hair, said fastener comprising a thin comb having a back and spaced broad teeth projecting therefrom for arranging against said scalp and between hair thereon, said teeth and back comprising a pressure base; a pivotally movable thin pressure plate pressing said hair between the plate and said pressure base, the plate having an edge-adjacent the juncture of the comb back and teeth around which the hair extends on the side of the pressure base opposite the scalp; and a spring member having a movable edge portion and squeezing the hair between the spring member and pressure plate and squeezing the hair between the pressure plate against the said pressure base, the hair thereby extending from the scalp, between the comb teeth, then between the comb back and pressure plate, and then in a reverse bend around the edge of the pressure plate and between the pressure plate and spring member.

2. The wig of claim 1 wherein said pressure plate when pressing said hair has an edge portion overlapping an edge portion of said pressure base and itself being overlapped by said movable edge portion of said spring member, said pressure plate and pressure base being superposed when pressing said hair and having hinge connecting means at one corner of each for movement of said plate and pressure base relative to each other in a substantially common plane.

3. The wig of claim 1 wherein said pressure base has means thereon for attaching said fastener to the wig.

4. The wig of claim 1 wherein said pressure base and said pressure plate have hair engaging portions of large areas to apply pressure to the hair over said large areas and further reduce danger of damage to the hair. I

5. The wig of claim 1 wherein said spring member comprises a leaf spring having a back attached to said pressure base and said movable edge portion is upturned for aid in moving said pressure plate and hair engaged thereby to beneath said spring member.

6. A wig, comprising: a hairpiece for a scalp with growing hair and a fastener attached to said hairpiece for releasable securing the hairpiece to the growing hair, said fastener comprising a thin pressure base for arranging against said scalp; a pivotally movable thin pressure plate pressing said hair between the plate and said pressure base, the plate having an edge adjacent the said pressure base around which the hair extends on the side of the pressure base opposite the scalp; and a spring member having a movable edge portion and squeezing the hair between the spring member and pressure plate and squeezing the hair between the pressure plate against the said pressure base, the hair thereby extending from the scalp, around the pressure base, then between the pressure base and pressure plate, and then in a reverse bend around the edge of the tion overlapping an edge portion of said pressure base and itself being overlapped by said movable edge portion of said spring member, said pressure plate and pressure base being superposed when pressing said hair and having hinge connecting means at one comer of each for movement of said plate and pressure base relative to each other in a substantially common plane.

8. The wig of claim 7 wherein said pressure base and said pressure plate have hair engaging portions of large areas to apply pressure to the hair over said large areas and further reduce danger of damage to the hair and wherein said spring member comprises a leaf spring having a back attached to said pressure base and said movable edge portion is upturned for aid in moving said pressure plate and hair engaged thereby to beneath said spring member. 

1. A wig, comprising: a hairpiece for a scalp with growing hair and a fastener attached to said hairpiece for releasably securing the hairpiece to the growing hair, said fastener comprising a thin comb having a back and spaced broad teeth projecting therefrom for arranging against said scalp and between hair thereon, said teeth and back comprising a pressure base; a pivotally movable thin pressure plate pressing said hair between the plate and said pressure base, the plate having an edge adjacent the juncture of the comb back and teeth around which the hair extends on the side of the pressure base opposite the scalp; and a spring member having a movable edge portion and squeezing the hair between the spring member and pressure plate and squeezing the hair between the pressure plate against the said pressure base, the hair thereby extending from the scalp, between the comb teeth, then between the comb back and pressure plate, and then in a reverse bend around the edge of the pressure plate and between the pressure plate and spring member.
 2. The wig of claim 1 wherein said pressure plate when pressing said hair has an edge portion overlapping an edge portion of said pressure base and itself being overlapped by said movable edge portion of said spring member, said pressure plate and pressure base being superposed when pressing said hair and having hinge connecting means at one corner of each for movement of said plate and pressure base relative to each other in a substantially common plane.
 3. The wig of claim 1 wherein said pressure base has means thereon for attaching said fastener to the wig.
 4. The wig of claim 1 wherein said pressure base and said pressure plate have hair engaging portions of large areas to apply pressure to the hair over said large areas and further reduce danger of damage to the hair.
 5. The wig of claim 1 wherein said spring member comprises a leaf spring having a back attached to said pressure base and said movable edge portion is upturned for aid in moving said pressure plate and hair engaged thereby to beneath said spring member.
 6. A wig, comprising: a hairpiece for a scalp with growing hair and a fastener attached to said hairpiece for releasable securing the hairpiece to the growing hair, said fastener comprising a thin pressure base for arranging against said scalp; a pivotally movable thin pressure plate pressing said hair between the plate and said pressure base, the plate having an edge adjacent the said pressure base around which the hair extends on the side of the pressure base opposite the scalp; and a spring member having a movable edge portion and squeezing the hair between the spring member and pressure plate and squeezing the hair between the pressure plate against the said pressure base, the hair thereby extending from the scalp, around the pressure base, then between the pressure base and pressure plate, and then in a reverse bend around the edge of the pressure plate and between the pressure plate and spring member.
 7. The wig of claim 6 wherein said pressure plate when pressing said hair has an edge portion overlapping an edge portion of said pressure base and itself being overlapped by said movable edge portion of said spring member, said pressure plate and pressure base being superposed when pressing said hair and having hinge connecting means at one corner of each for movement of said plate and pressure base relative to each other in a substantially common plane.
 8. The wig of claim 7 wherein said pressure base and said pressure plate have hair engaging portions of large areas to apply pressure to the hair over said large areas and further reduce danger of damage to the hair and wherein said spring member compriseS a leaf spring having a back attached to said pressure base and said movable edge portion is upturned for aid in moving said pressure plate and hair engaged thereby to beneath said spring member. 